Help
by ghaaaaaaaaaa
Summary: Pyrrha Nikos, as everyone knows, is strong. She kind, wise, and humble. She is someone who everyone can trust with their problems, and she will always lend a helping hand. But even the strongest need help sometimes. When Pyrrha finds herself with a problem of her own, she turns to none other than team RWBY.
1. Ruby Rose

**Hello again! (See what I did there? I'm so funny). As much as I unashamedly proclaim that Weiss is my favorite RWBY character whenever I get the chance, I like other characters as well. One of those characters is Pyrrha Nikos, whose kindness, wisdom, and all around badassery instantly drew me in. So, I decided to write a short story about her. I don't plan for this to continue for a long time, at least five chapters at most. I just had this idea after reading a few stories with Pyrrha in them. I don't typically like writing multiple multi-chapter stories at one time, as starting too many projects is a good way to be thrown off-track. Writing my story Ever After is more important to me than writing this one and I don't want to be distracted from that task, but at the same time, I often forget ideas I liked because I failed to get them down and pursue** **them. So, in a compromise, I decided to write this story on the side.** **I've never really written for Pyrrha before, at least not seriously, so I hope I do her justice. **

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos. You'd have to be living under a rock to not know that name. She was the shining star of Sanctum, her presence causing enrollment rates at the school to practically double over a mere six months. She won the Mistral regional tournament four times in a row, setting a new record. She was even the mascot for Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, the popular and unhealthy cereal eaten throughout Vytal. Then, she became a student at Beacon Academy, one of the most prestigious combat schools Remnant has to offer. Her celebrity status and word of her battle prowess spread throughout the world, traveling to the other three continents of Remnant. Arguably the most famous teenager in Vytal, she was also arguably the most down-to-earth. Humble, kind to a fault, and wise, her personality was just as big of a factor in her fame as her combat skills. She had an entire continent enthralled with her, and yet the only person whose affection she cared about was a boy who hadn't even known her name until they first met. He was the only person whose gaze she wanted on her, and he was completely oblivious to this. His name was Jaune Arc, and he had no idea that Pyrrha Nikos, the world famous celebrity, was madly in love with him.

* * *

"So, Snow Angel, I hear that there's a ball coming up. Now I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty light on my feet. I know you are, too. I was thinking that we could blow Beacon away with our chemistry on the dance floor. What do you say?" Jaune asked Weiss, leaning on the chair opposite of her. She was sitting at a rectangular table in the library, trying to study for her classes. She had though the library would give her some peace and quiet. She had been wrong. Jaune, for his part, was trying to appeal to Weiss' sense of competition by treating the dance like a competition. Unfortunately, she didn't see it that way.

"I came to the library to escape one annoying blonde. I didn't expect to find another," she said testily.

"Oh, very funny," Jaune replied sarcastically.

"Besides, if your coordination in battle is any indication, you'd be tripping over your own feet every five seconds. I'm not particularly interested in dealing with that, and I pity the poor girl who is subject to such torture. Now, if you could leave and go back to your studying, that would be just lovely," Weiss continued. Jaune frowned deeper.

"I'll have you know that I learned to dance from my mother, who...the point is, I'm a very skilled dancer, and if you gave me half a chance, you'd be impressed," he said.

"Then why not dance with her?" The heiress asked scathingly. Jaune, indignant, went to stand up straight and ended up falling forward, the chair unable to support the weight he put forward to push himself into a standing position. He would have hit his head in the table, but luckily for him, as he didn't active his Aura in time, it flipped over as the bottom of the chair collided with its underside. Two of its legs reared upwards and it fell towards Weiss. Her books slid off and she quickly used a glyph to hold them in midair. She used another glyph for the table, holding it there before gently pushing it back on all four of its legs. Letting her books rest float in the air, she quickly picked them up and stormed off. Pyrrha, who heard Jaune's adorably high-pitched squeal, rushed over.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly what I was talking about! You have the coordination of Ruby on a sugar high!" Jaune put the chair back in its original position, looking very embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry!" He shouted back at her, but she didn't turn around. Pyrrha quickly walked past her and brushed her teammate's hair from his forehead to see if he had hurt himself.

"Oh, I'm fine. Besides, I could have just Aura-healed it," he said, looking dejected. Pyrrha spent a few more seconds looking for wounds before stepping back. Jaune sat down in the chair he'd knocked over and moaned.

"I must be some kind of masochist. Why do I keep trying to ask out Ice Queen, of all people?" The redhead almost chuckled at the use of one of Weiss' many pet names, and walked next to Jaune, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't blame you for pursuing her. Beneath all of that snark and sarcasm, Weiss really is a wonderful person."

"Right now, I'm having a really hard time believing that. I guess we'd better get back to studying, huh?" Pyrrha nodded in response to Jaune's reluctance, walking away.

"I think you're sufficiently woken up now. Anyway, we have history next. Don't feel the need to rush through it."

* * *

Jaune bit his lip as he bent his over his textbook, trying to focus on the ridiculously small print. His head was titled to the left and he rested it in his left hand, his left elbow propped up on the table. His right hand was splayed out across it, twirling a pencil as if it had a mind of its own. Pyrrha, to his left, was pretending to read an X-Ray and Vav comic, her guilty pleasure. She couldn't help it; the hapless heroes had such hilarious adventures that she just had to keep up with the latest issues. In this particular comic, they were battling their arch-nemesis Mogar, the mighty warrior with a very short temper. However, she was really looking at Jaune; she had read the issue five times already. She took notice of every little thing, the way his hair dipped into his eyes, the way he blew at it in an effort to get it out of his vision, the way the light from the glass windows shone on his hair and made it shine. Jaune was often mocked by other people, if, for the most part, only jokingly. He was really coming into his own, and had even earned the respect of Cardin Winchester, but he was still the butt of many a joke. People made fun of his shabby armor that looked like it had been thrown together at the last minute in an attempt to make himself seem somewhat like a Huntsman. They made fun of his plain weapon, a mere sword and shield with no notable transformations save for a sheathe. They made fun of his ignorance of popular culture and the way he tended to refer to his mother in conversation. But they didn't know him like she did. Jaune wanted, more than anything, to protect people. He had dreams of heroism and a legendary family legacy looming over him. He constantly felt pressure to be more than he was. He was an Arc as well as the leader of his team, and he felt as if he wasn't good enough sometimes. But he was changing, slowly but surely. Jaune was gaining confidence. He wasn't just getting stronger, he was getting more comfortable with himself. He was learning something that Pyrrha had always known: That he was good enough. He had nothing to be ashamed of, no reason to compare himself to others. All of his quirks, everything that made him such an easy target, those were things that Pyrrha loved about him. And beyond all of those things, she knew that Jaune was a true Huntsman. He was willing to overcome all of his insecurities and weaknesses so that he could protect people. That was more important than any level of skill.

* * *

It had been an hour since Jaune finished his studying, and he was off with Nora and Ren somewhere, no doubt having fun. He had asked Pyrrha to join him, but she didn't feel in the mood. Despite his persistence, she eventually convinced him to go without her. She was preoccupied, thinking about his flirtation with Weiss. Alone in the library save for Ruby, who came in half an hour after Weiss left, she was able to freely think about what had happened. She couldn't help but feel hurt by his actions. She knew that it wasn't his fault, that he wasn't trying to hurt her. She knew that he just didn't notice her feelings. Jaune, for all of his budding tactical prowess, was the most socially inexperience person she'd ever met. Even Ruby seemed like a social butterfly compared to him. However, she still noticed the annoyance within her, the annoyance at his flirtation, something he would even do when she was around. Pyrrha was comforted by the fact that he mostly chased after Weiss, who was clearly not interested. She knew that there was a simple way to fix her problem, but she was too scared. For the first time in her life, Pyrrha was ruled by her fear. She was afraid that Jaune only saw her as a friend, that he would have no interest in being anything more than that. It didn't matter that he would still like and care for her; knowing that her feelings would never be returned was all it would take. As she wallowed in her unease and longing, she realized that it was dark out. Deciding that it was time to go to her dorm and see if Nora had destroyed anything or possible anyone, Pyrrha got up and began walking out of the library, only to be stopped by a voice behind her.

"And then I ate all the cookies and killed all the Nevermores..." It was Ruby, talking in her sleep. The redhead laughed and walked over to the younger girl. Her face was resting in one of her textbooks, one that looked to be for history. She struggled with the subject just as much as Jaune did. Drool was splayed on the page her face lay on and fell from the book and onto the table. Tapping her on the shoulder, Pyrrha gently slid the book out from under her as Ruby woke up.

"Huh? What? Weiss, I'm really, really sorry! I'll finish tomorrow and...Pyrrha?" The older girl smiled.

"Hello! I thought you might want to spend tonight in your bed instead of out here, so I woke you up," she said. Ruby grinned widely, getting up. Hastily wiping the drool from her book with her billowing red cloak, she embraced Pyrrha gratefully.

"Oh, thank you so much! I can't believe I fell asleep! I totally have to finish this homework. Weiss said that I was falling behind in history and then I said history was dumb and she got mad...and she's gonna get mad again once she finds out I've been sleeping instead of working! Pyrrha, please don't tell her!" Pyrrha laughed, the sound of her calm voice putting Ruby at ease.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. But why are you working alone? Surely you could ask her, Blake or Yang for help, right?" She asked. Ruby sighed.

"Well, Weiss was busy, Yang is even worse at history than I am, and Blake went off on her own again to read. She always takes this one book with her...I wonder what it is?"

"Then how about you join Jaune and I? We're working on history as well, and I think that the two of you would benefit from having someone else to study with," Pyrrha offered. Ruby beamed, nodding hurriedly.

"That would be awesome! Jaune always says that you're super good at studying and stuff," the younger girl replied. Pyrrha smiled and walked away, waving to Ruby as she did so. However, she was called back.

"Pyrrha? Are you okay?"

* * *

Pyrrha was honestly surprised that Ruby had asked such a question. To her knowledge, she didn't seem sad, and she didn't think that Ruby was so observant as to notice that something was bothering her. Turning around, she sighed. There was no reason to lie to Ruby, not that she could if she wanted to. Her big silver eyes could charm almost anyone.

"...No, not really," Pyrrha replied.

"Oh...Weiss came back to the dorm and complained that Jaune was being, uh...I can't really pronounce some of the words she said because they were really long, but it was something about him being oblivious. Then Yang asked if it was about you, and Weiss nodded and didn't really say anything else. Later, before I fell asleep, I saw you looking kind of sad, so..." Ruby trailed off, smiling kindly. Pyrrha walked over to her and sat at the table. Ruby sat next to her, and she began to talk.

"...I really like Jaune."

"Huh?"

"I...it's not easy to say, but, I...well..." Pyrrha looked downward, having second thoughts. She was wondering if she really wanted to tell Ruby what was on her mind. Then, the younger girl spoke up, trying to comfort her.

"It's fine. I really like Jaune too!"

"It's a little more complicated than that...um, I, well...I am...attracted to him. Romantically." Ruby's eyes widened, and her mouth curved into a small 'O' shape. Pyrrha's face was as red as her hair, and she couldn't bring herself to look up. An awkward silence permeated the room, but was cut very quickly by Ruby as if she was swinging Crescent Rose.

"Uh...I...I don't like him in that way. I mean, now that I know you _like_ like him, it would be really weird if I _like_ liked him, but I don't because I just think of him as a friend. I just regular like him, you know? I mean, I can totally see why you _like_ like him because he's funny and nice and he listens to me when I talk about weapons and he's a good leader, but that doesn't mean I _like _like him-" Pyrrha chuckled to herself at how nervous and awkward she sounded, and put her out of her misery with a quick interjection.

"Ruby, it's fine. You don't have to be so nervous; I know what you mean. It's not like I'd be mad at you if you did like Jaune in that way."

"Well, Yang said that you totally would..."

"Perhaps I'd feel a little awkward and maybe even threatened, but I wouldn't be angry at you. Yang has an active imagination." Ruby sighed, and Pyrrha glanced up, smiling at her to reassure the younger girl.

"So...I really don't know a lot about romance and stuff like that..." Ruby said, playing with her cape now. Pyrrha knew that she wasn't interested in this kind of thing. She didn't think much of romance, and was completely out of her comfort zone in this conversation. Deciding that it was rude to force her to talk about something she was so uncomfortable with, Pyrrha got up.

"I'm sorry I made you talk about this, and I'm really glad that you listened. I suppose it goes without saying that I don't want you telling anyone about this conversation, so I'll just be off now. We'll study tomorrow. Goodnight, and thank you." As she walked away, Ruby hurried from her seat and ran to her.

"I know that I don't know a lot about this kind of thing, but I want to help!" Pyrrha was surprised by her boldness. Looking down at the younger girl with wide eyes, she waited for her to speak. She herself couldn't think of anything to say.

"I know that if I _like _liked someone, I'd want to talk to them a lot about weapons, but that doesn't really help you...well, I guess if you talked to Jaune more outside of studies and training, maybe he'd think of you more as someone he could, um, like romantically. Maybe he thinks of you as a teammate, friend and mentor, but if you talked to him in a different kind of situation, he'd see you differently. I mean, I know that I'd feel really weird about _like _liking a teammate because I fight with them and it would be kind of like a work relationship...or something," Ruby told her, smiling expectantly. Pyrrha was surprised before; now she was amazed. She had been so intensely focused on Jaune that she failed to notice the growth of her other friend who had been thrown into a position of leader. Ruby was gradually learning to assess problems and come up with solutions, a skill that she no doubt had help developing from Weiss. Pyrrha had always thought of Ruby as being something of a little sister, immature but lovable. She never saw Ruby as particularly wise, although she thought the younger girl was a great leader, but now she saw how much her friend had grown. Pyrrha smiled a big, proud smile and embraced Ruby in a tight hug.

"Ruby...you really are amazing. Thank you so much!"

"Y-yeah, sure! Uh...you're kind of crushing me." Pyrrha quickly released the younger girl, still smiling, and walked off quickly.

"Remember, we're studying tomorrow! I'll get you when Jaune and I are ready." She exited the library, mulling over Ruby's unexpected advice. Maybe she should have gone with Jaune when he asked her to.

* * *

**Ta dah! An Arkos story! Because there aren't enough of those in the world already, right? I'm just so original it hurts. Anyway, internet sarcasm aside, I'm excited to see where I go with this. I think I did alright with this chapter, but as always, I'm open to criticism. Did I do the characters justice? I'd love to know what people think! Anyway, I do want some good old-fashioned Arkos in this story, and Arkos basically drives the plot, but I also want to use it as an excuse to have Pyrrha interact with team RWBY. Aside from some lunch table gossip and a conversation with Weiss, who was only trying to use her as a pawn in her grand scheme to take over Beacon, we haven't seen Pyrrha talk much to the four main characters. I want to show her interact with them and try to make their dynamic like what I think it might be in the show. To do this, I'll have the four RWBY girls give Pyrrha relationship advice! Ruby's already given her two cents, and now I've got Weiss, Blake, and Yang left to go! Up next is everyone's favorite Ice Queen, ready to dish out relationship advice like she dishes out epic burns ("By who? Your mother?" Lines like that are why Weiss is the best). **

**I always thought of Ruby and Pyrrha has having kind of a sisterly relationship. Pyrrha is more mature and has more wisdom than Ruby, and she's also a famous warrior with a badass Semblance. It only makes sense that Ruby would admire her like she does Yang. I can see her thinking of Ruby like she thinks of Jaune, but in a non-romantic sense. She knows that Ruby has great potential and wants to encourage her to unlock it. However, she's significantly more mature than Ruby's actual sister, so it stands to reason that they'd have a calmer relationship. Yang, despite being older than Ruby, doesn't often act like it, so the two have a much more competitive, exciting dynamic while I can imagine Ruby being rather humbled by Pyrrha.  
**


	2. Weiss Schnee

A week had passed since Pyrrha shared her troubles with Ruby, and despite her friend's advice, things hadn't improved. In fact, Pyrrha grew more stressed as time went by. She certainly tried to do as Ruby had suggested, going out to Vale for meals after studying and even embarking on some of Nora's adventures when Jaune was inevitably swept along, and while she loved every minute of her time with him, she felt no closer to making her feelings known. She also witnessed a few more of Jaune's failed attempts to find a partner, including two crushing rejections from Weiss. He even tried to woo one of the visiting students from Haven, a young woman by the name of Cinder Fall. Seeing him so easily rejected made her almost as annoyed as seeing him flirt with other girls, and she found herself vexed by her lack of understanding of her own feelings. She had no idea why she was getting more dejected as she spent more time with Jaune, and it was becoming such an issue that she found herself distracted from her studies and training.

* * *

"Pyrrha!" Weiss snapped angrily, and the redhead just barely rose her shield in time to deflect a lightning fast blow from Myrtenaster. The smaller combatant quickly recovered from the recoil of the impact in an impressive display of strength and aimed a slash at Pyrrha's legs, forcing her to jump. She had been mulling over Jaune once again, and it was affecting her combat. She was distracted and sluggish, trying to think about the fight but finding her mind drawn to her clueless blonde teammate. A powerful sweep of her sword forced Weiss to duck, but the white-haired Huntress lunged just as quickly as she withdrew, giving Pyrrha no time to rest. She blocked a thrust and twisted her blade so that the tip of Weiss' rapier was pointed away, leaving her open. A quick shield bash sent her opponent rolling. Weiss kept her breathing steady, steeling her chest for the blow. She had done a lot of strength training, as she was a more frail combatant than most. It was her greatest weakness, but Weiss was a hard worker with incredible determination. She had made great progress. Pyrrha, not wanting to give the heiress time to make use of her speed and close the gap between them, turned her sword into a rifle and fired. Weiss deflected the bullets and sent a quick ice beam at Pyrrha, who shot it. It exploded into ice shards that the redhead had to deflect, giving Weiss time to dash forward with a glyph and knock her on her back with a powerful thrust. Pyrrha went to get up, but her hands and feet were quickly frozen to the ground and Myrtenaster was, shortly after, pointed at her neck.

"Well done, Weiss," the redhead said proudly. Her friend had greatly improved. Lately, she'd been very adamant about practicing one-on-one combat, wanting to prepare for the Vytal tournament. It had paid off; Weiss had always been very skilled and she was only growing more so.

"Don't 'well done' me, Pyrrha. You know just as well as I do that I should have lost that fight. As skilled as I may be, I'm not on your level. Yet," the heiress scolded as she waved her hand. Four glyphs appeared to shatter the ice around Pyrrha, who got up and sheathed her weapons, massaging her wrists for warmth.

"I wasn't holding back any. You earned your victory."

"You may not have been holding back, but you weren't paying attention, either. You were completely lost in your own thoughts, and I won't tolerate that. I chose to spar with you because you're the most skilled Huntress I know. I expect your performance to support that reputation." Pyrrha sighed at Weiss' sharpness. There wasn't much you could put past her, but the redhead had no interest in saying what was on her mind. She cared deeply for Weiss, but knew that she wouldn't have much to offer in terms of comfort or advice. The heiress didn't have a talent for keeping secrets, either.

"I suppose I was distracted, but you shouldn't let that take anything away from your victory today," she replied, smiling. Weiss simply narrowed her eyes.

"Do you want to spar again tomorrow?" Pyrrha asked after a second of being glared at.

"I want to know what's wrong. This problem that you have is affecting our training, and that is absolutely unacceptable. Besides, you're not just my sparring partner, but my friend. I may not be the most...approachable, yes, but that doesn't mean you can just treat me like a mere acquaintance!" Was the indignant reply. Pyrrha immediately felt bad. Weiss cared about her just as much as anyone else, and she didn't want her to feel as if she was scared to confide in her.

"...I'm sorry. You are my friend and I didn't mean to act is if you're anything less, but this isn't an issue I think you can help me with. This isn't about you at all; it's about me," Pyrrha said quickly, trying to assure Weiss that she didn't think of her differently from any of her other friends. The heiress sighed.

"It's not like telling a friend can do any harm, can it?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then why are you so reluctant?" Pyrrha began to reconsider her vow of silence. She knew how much Weiss cared for her friends and how driven she was. There would be no escape from her questions. Perhaps just telling someone else would be helpful, and if Weiss seemed like she was going to expose her secret just as she had told team JNPR about Blake's identity as a faunus, Pyrrha could get persuasive.

"It's about Jaune," the redhead finally said after a few seconds of quiet. The green grass rustled beneath them as the courtyard they were in suddenly seemed larger and more foreboding. Pyrrha brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, waiting patiently but nervously for her friend to respond. When she did, her words weren't surprising.

"Of course." Pyrrha almost laughed. Although she hadn't seen it coming, there was no shock in realizing that Weiss knew about the her feelings. However, her next words were more startling.

"It's the dance, right?"

"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked, blinking a few times in surprise.

"Of course it is. This whole Jaune drama hasn't been crippling to your skills in the least, but recently, you've been more distracted. It has to be the dance. Ever since it was announced, your buffoon of a leader has been redoubling his efforts at flirtation, and I'm sure that it annoys you just as much as it annoys me." Pyrrha didn't even get angry at Weiss' insulting term to describe Jaune; she was too surprised at how much sense she made. It all seemed so obvious now, and she wondered how she missed it. It was a testament as to how blinded she was by her own depression.

"The dance...it makes sense. I suppose I was just...distracted, like you said," Pyrrha smiled apologetically.

"Well, there's really not much else to be said. You're wasting your time," Weiss said calmly. Pyrrha's smile faded.

"What?" Weiss continued on, not deterred by her friend's sudden change of mood.

"At least, I think so. You could do so much better. If he's too foolish to see what's right in front of his face, I fail to see why you should give him a chance. Even if he wasn't completely oblivious, I can't see why you'd pursue him!"

"And I can't see why your opinion matters," Pyrrha said, in a rare moment of anger. Usually calm, kind, and forgiving, all bets were off when it came to Jaune. It was even more important to refrain from insulting him in Pyrrha's presence than it was in his own. Weiss, for all of her confidence and aggressiveness, knew this well and understood that it wasn't wise to say anything more. She'd gone too far and didn't want to risk the wrath of Pyrrha.

"Okay, I may have gone overboard, but my point still stands. We can't see eye to eye on this, so perhaps we should just let the issue drop," Weiss replied quickly, wanting to calm the redhead down as fast as possible. Pyrrha kept glaring at her, and Weiss held her gaze with difficulty. After a few seconds, however, their tense staring contest broke and the heiress breathed heavily, glad to know that she wouldn't face a fate like that of team CRDL. Pyrrha, in a passive-aggressive retaliation of their teasing of Jaune, offered to spar with all of them. Needless to say, they didn't walk out of that training session happy.

"I may have gotten a little heated as well. I appreciate you listening to me, Weiss. I know that we think differently when it comes to Jaune, but just knowing that I can talk to you is comforting," she said, smiling again. Weiss returned it.

"Thank you! It's good to know that someone appreciates talking about issues, unlike a certain bookworm we know," Weiss said half jokingly. Pyrrha smiled wider, knowing that it wasn't every day that Weiss made a joke.

"And, since you have confided in me, I suppose I should offer some advice: Dance with him. Ask him to teach you. Maybe putting yourself in that kind of scenario would give you some confidence and you could tell him what's on your mind. And, although I find it unlikely, he might actually understand his blindness and see what's really going on. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to attend to." The heiress smiled and walked away with her signature confidence and flair, her skirt swaying with her hips. Pyrrha, however, wasn't done.

"Weiss, before you leave, I need to tell you something." Weiss turned around, confused.

"What?"

"You've clearly known about how I feel for some time, and I'm grateful that you've kept it to yourself," she said.

"Well, I may have told Ruby...and Blake...and Yang...but that's it, I swear. Besides, I'm sure that Blake and Yang already knew," was the reply. Pyrrha chuckled.

"I know. Ruby and I had a conversation about it a week ago. She offered some good advice." Weiss' eyes widened, knowing how much her teammate hated any kind of relationship talk. She vaguely remembered an incident where some hapless student had made a pass at Ruby, and in her nervousness, she sped off with her Semblance and knocked him down a flight of stairs. She was so startled that she didn't even apologize until the next day.

"On a relationship issue? Ruby? I find that hard to believe," Weiss said.

"I was surprised as well, but she did."

"Well then. Is that all?" Pyrrha's smile then grew sly and she got out her sword, twirling it challengingly.

"No. I just wanted to let you know that I owe you another match. This time, I promise to be...on my game, so to speak." Weiss returned the sly smile, and grabbed Myrtenaster.

"Very well then. I look forward to it. How does tomorrow sound?"

"Perfect. And again...thank you so much. Also, this is just an afterthought, but the next time Jaune tries to ask you out, please be a little less harsh in your rejection. He really is trying, you know, to seem...suave. Maybe you could make him think that he's making progress."

"I'm not encouraging his behavior," Weiss sighed, continuing her exit.

* * *

Nora and Ren had both left; Ren going to read at the library and Nora was running off to find him. Ren was being worn thin by his friend's craziness, and asked Jaune to cover for him as he enjoyed some peace and quiet. As such, Nora was off to the cafeteria, where Jaune had told her Ren would be. It was a smart move; the cafeteria was on the opposite side of the school from the library. That left the team leader alone with nothing to do. Jaune sat on his bed, trying to work up the will to study. He knew he had work to do, but the sun shining through the windows of the room and the soft sheets of the bed made him feel so tired. He just wanted to take a nap. Yawning, he got up, walking over to the desk his books were placed on. Sitting down, he opened the book on top and yawned again. He closed his eyes for a second, but they quickly shot open.

"Okay Jaune, focus. You can do this. It's just a few pages," he said, slapping his face with both hands. He began to read and got a paragraph in when Pyrrha walked into the room.

"Oh, Pyrrha. Hey. How was training with Weiss?" Jaune asked, turned away from his book.

"It was splendid. She's doing very well," Pyrrha replied, walking towards Jaune. He looked up.

"Do you want to talk about something?" He asked.

"Actually, yes. The dance is coming up, and since I've never danced before and you're quite good, I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers. Or are you busy right now?" Pyrrha now stood right next to the team leader, her head slanted down and her hands behind her back. She was nervous about asking, but her nerves were quickly put at ease by Jaune's informal manner. He grinned, stood up, and closed the book he was reading.

"Pyrrha, you have come to the right man! I won't let you down! Let's get started," he said happily, moving to the middle of the room.

"Do we really have enough space here?" Pyrrha asked, looking around the small room they shared with their team.

"We'll be fine. Besides, there's gonna be crowds of people at the dance; you should learn to work with small spaces. Now...shall we dance?" Jaune bowed and offered his hand to Pyrrha in a flashy display, and she chuckled before offering her hand to him. He gently held it and pulled her towards him.

"I'd love to," Pyrrha replied, smiling. Her smile faltered, however, when she found herself pressed against Jaune. Her face grew red and she began to feel hot. She hoped he wouldn't notice as he began to talk about the position they were in. He seemed quite calm and graceful, a far cry from his usual clumsy self.

"This is the closed position, and it's the most common position for ballroom dancing. First, our right sides have to touch," he said.

"L-like this?" Pyrrha asked, her voice coming out more high-pitched than she had intended.

"Pretty much, yeah. You know, you seem kind of off. Are you okay?" He asked her, noticing her pitch change and redness.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Anyway, as you were saying?" Pyrrah replied quickly, and he smiled. She was just glad that he didn't notice how unsure she sounded.

"Now, put out your right hand, and I'll put out my left. Our palms should touch and our fingers should clasp." He grabbed Pyrrha's outstretched hand and pressed his palm against hers. Then, their fingers clasped and Jaune grimaced.

"Wow. You have really tough hands. And a strong grip," he said. Pyrrha gasped and loosened her grip.

"I'm sorry! I don't really know my own strength sometimes. I'm still learning," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm used to tough hands; I did farm work back at home. Besides, as my mom always says, 'the stronger the grip, the stronger the person.' Anyway, now that we've got that sorted out, let's move on. The guy's hand goes on the lady's back like so-" Jaune was cut off by a squeak from Pyrrha, and he pulled his hand away.

"Uh, what was that? Are my fingers cold or something?" He asked.

"Y-Yes, that's it. Your fingers were a little cold. I'm fine now," Pyrrah replied, taking a deep breath. Jaune then continued to show her the position, placing his hand on her back and telling her to put her hand on his upper arm. Things were getting very uncomfortable for her now. She had been close to Jaune before, during combat training. However, this felt different. This wasn't some combat exercise or a stance test. This felt much more personal, more intimate. Pyrrha hadn't lied when she said that she'd never danced before, and she had no idea that it could make people feel so close. She wanted to be happy about, but she couldn't bring herself to be. Instead, she felt alone. Jaune had no idea how odd she felt, and he clearly didn't feel the same way. The way he moved so freely told her that she was the only one affected by their closeness, and it made her a little sad.

"Alright! Now we've got the position down, how about we start dancing?" Pyrrha sighed and let go of Jaune, who looked confused and a little disappointed.

"What's wrong? Am I not a good enough teacher?" He asked, hoping that wasn't it. He thought he was doing a good job, but if anyone would know, it would be Pyrrha.

"No, of course not! You're doing a great job, Jaune! I just remembered that I was supposed to meet Ruby; she wanted some extra help with her homework. But I'd love for us to continue this. I really do want to learn how to dance," was the reply. Jaune grinned, glad that he was doing alright.

"Well then. I guess we'll continue tomorrow!" Pyrrha beamed before running off. She wasn't scheduled to meet Ruby, and had every intention of doing so. She needed to talk to someone now more than ever. She was flustered, more than she could have ever anticipated, at being so close to Jaune. She was both happy and sad, happy because they were so close and sad because Jaune didn't seem to feel odd about it, as is what often happens to people in love. In the back of her mind, Pyrrha chastised herself for being so irrational. She wasn't an irrational person; she had a good head on her shoulders and knew how to use it. But under the influence of love, all of her mental faculties seemed to shut off. She no longer knew how to think calmly and coolly about the situation. Love was crazy that way. It could take someone like Pyrrha and turn them into a mess. It could also blind a person, and in more ways that one. Pyrrha knocked into a familiar face and rolled on the ground, her battle instincts keeping her from sprawling on the floor. With cat-like reflexes, the person she'd run into did the same. Pyrrha looked up, apologetic.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. Did I make you lose your place?" Blake smiled, her finger caught in her book.

"Not quite."

* * *

**Ta-dah! Another chapter finished! This time, Weiss dishes out some advice in her typical Weiss fashion. Then other stuff happens. Honestly, this is becoming a lot more Arkos-centric than I thought. I thought that I'd mostly have scenes with Pyrrha and team RWBY, but it's hard to think of scenarios where the characters can meet and talk naturally and so Arkos happens as filler. I don't want Pyrrha spilling her secret crush to seem forced, but I want her to do so all the same. I'm especially challenged by Blake, who I can't see as really caring about Pyrrha's man troubles. It's not that she doesn't care about Pyrrha; I just don't think she'd be too curious. But she will be, and hopefully it'll be entertaining to read about what sage advice she'll give. **

**The relationship between Weiss and Pyrrha is the easiest for me to understand out of all the members of team RWBY, based on what we know about Pyrrha and Weiss, plus the encounter they had in volume 1. We already know that Weiss admires and respects Pyrrha. She's the four-time Mistral tournament champion ("a new record!" as Weiss states), and she's generally an epic badass. I suspect that Weiss would try to train with her in order to fight with a highly skilled Huntress. Pyrrha, for her part, seems like she'd respect Weiss as well. Being a highly forgiving person, she'd most likely tolerate her less likeable traits and focus on her positive ones. Weiss is a determined, intelligent, and hardworking person, qualities that Pyrrha has and as a powerful Huntress, most likely values. Pyrrha is the wise mentor character of RWBY, and Weiss is a very good student. It only stands to reason that the two would like each other. Also, because Weiss was raised in a harsh family environment where she most likely wasn't exposed to a lot of encouragement and support, I can see her really liking Pyrrha for her kind, encouraging, and forgiving personality.**


	3. Blake Belladonna

After a split second of eye contact, Pyrrha could already tell something was wrong. For one thing, Blake's smile was as fake as could be. Her muscles looked unnatural, as if she hadn't smiled in a long time and had forgotten how. In fact, Pyrrha had hardly seen her do so after her encounter with Torchwick, and many more memories of something being off with her friend suddenly rose to Pyrrha's mind. Her eyes themselves were dead giveaways as well. Blake's usually piercing, attractive gaze was marred by the dark circles beneath them. She looked weak and tired, and the more Pyrrha stared at her, the more she wondered how her friend could even stand. At her feet lay a pencil, and the redhead went to pick it up, handing it to Blake.

"Taking notes for class?" She asked cheerfully.

"No, not really," was the quick reply. Blake hastily moved around Pyrrha, increasing the length of her stride as she walked away.

"Blake, wait," Pyrrha called out of instinct. She had just fled Jaune and his dance lesson, and was still flustered from the incident, but found herself drawn to Blake's plight. Something was wrong with her. Weiss' words after their training session came to mind. Blake had never been the most trusting of people, so Pyrrha wasn't surprised that she was being so secretive even with her team, but what was surprising was that she seemed to think that she could simply get away with it. Even looking the way she did, she still brushed past Pyrrha, who considered the two friends, without a second thought. This wasn't just Blake being Blake; this was much more serious. And, additionally, perhaps talking to her might make Pyrrha get her mind off her lesson with Jaune before.

"What?" Blake asked testily, barely cocking her head to glance at Pyrrha.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Pyrrha almost laughed. Blake didn't even try to sound convincing.

"No, you're not. Let me help you. We can talk," the redhead offered, taking a step towards her. The faunus was fidgeting now, eager to get to wherever she'd been going. Pyrrha remained undeterred.

"I have no idea what you're doing, but it can't be worth the price your body and mind are paying. You're clearly overtired, and your antisocial tendencies, from what I've heard, have been taking to more serious extremes," She said, taking the gentle yet forceful tone she used when her friends needed a push in the right direction.

"I've heard this before, and I still don't care," Blake replied bluntly, walking away again. Pyrrha almost decided to do the same, having done the best she could. But then an idea popped into her head, and although she resisted at first, she knew that it would be to help Blake. Even if it failed, the taciturn faunus could keep a secret; helping Pyrrha to feel comfortable enough to go through with it. Blake kept much more serious issues from her own team, after all; she'd have no temptation to discuss Pyrrha's personal troubles with anyone.

"Okay, if you don't want me to help you...then can you help me?" The redhead asked, feeling embarrassed before she even spilled her secret. She looked down and sighed deeply, waiting for Blake to make a move. She did.

"I don't have time," she replied.

"It won't take a lot of time; I promise. I just want your advice."

"And I don't want to give it to you; as I said, I don't have the time."

"Not even for tuna?" Pyrrha asked, angry at herself for saying it. She didn't like using Blake's cat-like traits to manipulate her, and especially didn't want to risk saying something offensive, but Blake was already testy; if she got offended, Pyrrha would see no difference. Besides, no ill will was meant by the statement, and it was all for the sake of trying to help her unwell friend. Blake snarled.

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"I have some. Yang gave it to Nora to hide from you as a prank; I can get it."

"Damn blonde!" Blake growled, her eyes narrowing to make a very dangerous expression. Pyrrha waited for her anger to die down a little before speaking again.

"So?"

"...What's wrong?" Blake asked, and Pyrrha beamed before remembering what she was about to disclose.

"Well, it's about a...a boy."

"That tuna had better be worth this," the faunus spat.

"It's about Jaune. I...I'm confused and in love, and those two things are never a good combination. Ever since the dance was announced, I've been wanting to go with him, but I can't bring myself to ask. I suppose that the concept of dancing at a ball bringing people closer together made me think that, if we went, it would...perhaps prove to him how close we are. But every time I try to say something, I think of what might happen if he says no, and I choke. I'm afraid of being rejected, that I'll have to live out the remainder of my time with him knowing that he'll never have the feelings for me that I have for him. I thought that, maybe, a more logical approach like yours would give me some answers," Pyrrha continued, ignoring Blake's outburst. For her part, the faunus seemed completely unsurprised.

"Write love letters," she said. Pyrrha turned bright red at the idea, but entertained the advice she'd been given.

"Um...why would that work?"

"If he likes them, then you can say that you wrote them. Words are very good at evoking feelings in people that they didn't even know they had; if you can't say them, writing them would work just as well. Now I'd rather not spend any more time talking about your love life. I'll be expecting the tuna tomorrow." And with that final, hurried, and unhappily doled advice, Blake left. Pyrrha thought about trying to call her back, but knew that it would be meaningless. She just wanted to leave as quickly as possible, and there was no longer any excuse for her to stay. Pyrrha sighed, both embarrassed and depressed.

"I suppose that if her team failed, I'd have no better chance."

* * *

Pyrrha found herself in the library late at night, looking at poetry and examples of love letters on her Scroll, making sure to delete her history. She was taking no chances of anyone stumbling upon the sites she had found. She looked nervously around her, making sure that she truly was alone before continuing to read. She silently mouthed the words she saw without thinking, stopping every few seconds when she came upon a phrase or sentence that particularly embarrassed her. She had found a wide range of results, including a few adult poems. She tried everything, but even with her research skills, she couldn't find anything to inspire her, much less find the courage to even try to write something. So her search continued until she realized that it was four in the morning and hurried to bed.

* * *

Two days after Blake and Pyrrha's conversation, Jaune was going to his locker to retrieve his weapon, the grey metal walls blurring together as he walked by swiftly, barely visible from the corner of his vision. He was sparring with Scarlet, and was determined to put up the best fight he could. It had been a while since he had been in a match, and he was eager to practice what Pyrrha had so patiently taught him. However, when he went to pick up his shield, something caught his attention. It was a slip of paper with strange handwriting on it. It didn't look like any he recognized, so he read it tentatively, not sure what it would say. As he scanned the note, his eyes widened and his face reddened.

"What the...what is this?" He muttered to himself, putting it back in his locker. He hurried to the arena, passing by Pyrrha as he did so.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'll tell you later!" He replied. She looked down, nervous, knowing that he saw the letter. Now, all she could do was wait until lunch.

* * *

Jaune, unfortunately, lost miserably. Pyrrha felt bad; it was most likely the shock of receiving her letter that threw him off. He was moving slowly and clumsily. His form was noticeably better, however, and his match with Scarlet marked the longest he'd lasted in a one-on-one battle. However, with his current level of skill, that performance wasn't anything to be proud of, and he knew it. Even then, it wasn't as important to him as it would normally. He wasn't focused much on battle or training today. It was lunchtime, and he sat with his team and team RWBY, discussing his letter. It was surprisingly easy to hear him; people weren't as loud today. Glynda Goodwitch had a migraine today, and no one wanted to bring on her wrath. She leaned against a wall in the corner of the room, massaging her temple with her hands.

"So? Aren't you gonna read it to us?" Yang asked, leaning towards JNPR's blonde leader. Next to him on the other side, Ren was fending off Nora.

"He doesn't want...anyone...to see it..." He grunted as Nora pushed her palm into his face, forcing his head next to Jaune's.

"Yeah, what Ren said! I'd...rather not share it. It's a little embarrassing..." Ruby and Weiss, at this, looked at Pyrrha, who looked away. Ruby looked confused, while Weiss sighed.

"Stop being pests, you two, and leave him alone," she said. Jaune beamed, and Yang looked shocked.

"Weiss! You care!" He cried out.

"You care?" Yang asked, surprised.

"I care about eating in relative peace and quiet, yes," was the reply.

"Yeah! This is personal stuff!" Ruby chimed in. Yang wrapped her arm around her younger sister, leaning towards her.

"But sis...don't you wanna know what kind of lewd things it says?" Ruby blinked a few times, confused.

"What does 'lewd' mean?"

"It doesn't say anything like that! It's just a little personal, is all," Jaune told Yang quickly. Pyrrha grew even redder, staring straight at her food in an effort to go unnoticed.

"Then why won't you read it to us?" Nora asked, now practically climbing over Ren.

"Jaune, I'm sorry. I've failed-gah! Not between the legs!" He cried out as Nora's knee fell upon him.

"Ooh, sorry Ren!" In the corner of the room, Glynda got up and began walking towards them. Ren, noticing, tapped Nora on the shoulder and moved his head slightly, indicating who was behind him. She looked and Glynda and giggled.

"Sorry, professor!" She said. Ren turned to her and bowed his head in a sign of apology. She stopped walking, deciding that Ren didn't deserve to be chewed out because of Nora's actions, and that talking to Nora herself would only make her migraine worse. In the meantime, after Yang tried to rip the letter from his hands, Jaune suddenly held it over his mouth, and she doubled over in laughter.

"I-I'm gonna eat it! I swear!" Even Nora stopped trying to take the slip of paper from him when he made such a outlandish threat. PYrrha sighed and despite herself spoke up.

"Don't do that," she said, a small part of her hoping that he didn't listen.

"Eat a cookie, if you wanna eat something!" Ruby chimed in, holding out one of her own. Jaune sighed and put the piece of paper in his lap. He held out his hand for the cookie, grateful, and she reluctantly handed it over, not expecting him to actually want one.

"Alright. Before I do something stupid like that, or before some nosy friend takes it from me," he began, fixing Nora and then Yang with a glare,

"I guess I'll read it out loud," he finished, clearing his throat and pausing a little before beginning. He held the paper in his lap, under the table, while Nora climbed back over Ren, who bit back a scream as her knee found its way between his legs yet again. After a pat on the back from Ruby to stop herself from choking on the food she had laughed down her gullet, Yang too focused her attention on Jaune.

Okay...'Dear Jaune: We haven't known each other for too long, but I feel like we do. If there's anything I learned at Beacon, it's that I love you.'" Yang began to laugh again.

"This is too good! This is just too good! Jaune, you lady-killer you! Or guy-killer! Imagine if a guy wrote this! Do you think a guy wrote this?" She asked, interrupting him.

"Uh, it looks like a girl's handwriting, but I could be wrong. Although, the only guys I could think of who would write this are Cardin, as a joke of course, and...Ren, you didn't write this, did you? Of course, I never have seen you show any interest in girls..." He asked nervously, slowly turning to his taciturn teammate, who grinned reassuringly.

"Hey, relax. It wasn't me. Besides, Nora here stole all my writing utensils," Ren said, his grin turning into a frown.

"You want a hint?" Nora asked.

"I want them back."

"I'll ask again later," she replied, giggling, before turning her gaze to Jaune expectantly. He sighed and relented.

"Alright...'I've never met a single soul who is quite as kind and true, so it's really no wonder that my feelings quickly grew, and even now, at this very moment they still do. I have no way of knowing if my feelings are reciprocated, but it would be the greatest feeling I've ever felt to know that they're appreciated. Love and fear go hand in hand, which is why I write instead of speak, but understand that this, in no way, makes my feelings weak.' Um...it was nice, right?" He asked, his voice cracking out of nervousness. He'd always tried to flirt with girls he liked, and was always shot down. He had no idea that knowing someone loved him would be so so much more terrifying than exciting. Pyrrha, across from him, was still looking down, trying to calm her head buzzing with thoughts and fears and insecurities. She'd always been in control, even when she had no idea what she was doing. She had her social anxieties, but she never let them control her. She always overcame her sadness and every time she made a mistake or felt defeated, she would try again, just as she did in battle. But when it came to Jaune, the situation was beyond her. Ruby and Weiss looked sadly at her, knowing how difficult the whole situation must be, and even Blake fixed her with a sideways glance of faint pity.

"That was...quite revealing," Ren said, finally.

"It was skillful writing. Of course, this person has no way of knowing how Jaune feels if he doesn't know who it is," Weiss said bluntly, and Pyrrha moaned internally. She could tell that the heiress' words were meant for her.

"Eh? That's it?" Yang asked, disappointed.

"Boo! Ren, do you wanna find your pens now?" Nora asked.

"Not now; Jaune's having a moment."

"We all have moments, silly, but that doesn't mean that sitting around moping will make it any better!" With that, Nora hopped from her seat and gave Jaune a pat on the head, ruffling his hair.

"Think about people you really, really like, Jaune. Then maybe you'll know who wrote the letter," she said softly, and everyone at the table, even Blake, looked at their boisterous friend, bearing witness to a side of her that very few saw. Ren got up, and gave Jaune a similar pat on the shoulder before walking off behind Nora.

"I still want my pens back, you know," he called out behind her. Jaune was still looking at his teammate as she walked off, gaping.

"Okay...people I like. I mean, it was Nora's advice so it might fail horribly, but sometimes, she knows exactly what she's talking about," he said to himself.

"You do that. In the meantime, the rest of us have classes to go to. It's almost time for history, you know. Why Professor Oobleck drinks that much coffee, I'll never know," Weiss said curtly, muttering the last part to herself. In front of her, Blake was already walking away, and Ruby and Yang got up together, hurrying off behind their speed-walking teammates. That left Jaune and Pyrrha, who walked to class together.

"So, you seem kind of off. Are you okay?" He asked. Pyrrha sighed, her face still bright red. She desperately hoped that he didn't think of her redness as embarrassment.

"I'm...fine. Just flushed. I didn't get much sleep last night, and sparring took quite a bit out of me. I'm fine, really. But you...that letter must make you think. Do you need to, um, talk about it?" She asked, hoping that he would have some kind of epiphany of his own as to who wrote it. Jaune looked at her and grinned.

"Nah. I'll just think of people that I really, really like, right? I trust Nora; she's given good advice in the past. But, if you wanna talk, I'm all for it! You give great advice, too, and I'm not exactly the most socially competent," he said, laughing.

"Join the club," was the honest reply. Both Jaune and Pyrrha chuckled at that, and walked to class, with Pyrrha doing what she could to give Jaune honest advice that would, hopefully, get him to realize who wrote the letter. It was all she had the courage to do, and with every word that came out of her mouth, she mentally berated herself for being such a coward. She felt as far from invincible as could possibly be. Although she never wanted to be treated as her reputation made her seem, she now wished that she had the confidence of a truly invincible woman.

* * *

**It's been a while since I last wrote for this story, as I wasn't sure how to proceed. I feel like I tried too hard to make Blake a part of the story. At the time this Pyrrha love angst took place, she was in no mood to help anyone out, so I really tried to give her a motivation. Of course, on some level, it has to be forced, but I hope it doesn't seem overly so. I also tried my hand at poetry, which I like to read but don't like to write. All in all, there's a lot in this chapter that I'd like feedback on; it was the most difficult out of the three so far. Luckily, I think that whatever comes next will be easier, namely Yang's chapter. Be prepared for more than the usual amount of silliness!**

**Also, Ren says stuff. He needs to say more stuff! Get on that, Monty! **

**And RWBY is awesome! Mountain Glenn might be my favorite episode of volume 2 so far, although Painting the Town... is a more likely candidate. Character development and Ruby getting owned were both pretty great, though.**


End file.
